Weird and sweet electronics from this rather obscure Munich- based label, of which I know nothing - I've actually encountered a CD only once, while recently I dug up a post (here) in the sickness-abounds blog.
These two CDs compile two vinyl LPs, parts 1 and 2 of (what was to be) the six parts Populär Serie. Names like N.U.F. (*), Hecker , Move D, Solvent and Hans Platzgumer (of H.P.Zinker and Queen Of Japan) should be enough to draw attention and help the label to sell. Still, it looks like this was their swan song - and a pity it is, as the game here seems to be originality, a lost concept to most. In the process, wonderful (and mostly accessible) weirdness has infiltrated most of the tracks while forms and styles dissolve and merge freely. Rather under-produced and away from the norms and hypes of the time, it went largely unnoticed - at least here (I checked it just because I was deep into Friedmann at the time). Part experimental electronics, part weird breaks, part US electro pop a la Ghostly Int. (a few years before them), it provides a slightly incoherent yet uncompromisingly attractive proposition. You might listen to it and ignore most of it at a time, only to re-discover certain tracks a couple of years later, pitying yourself for the time you lost.
'Tell Me The Truth' by the Electric Sheep is one of the electro-pop anthems in my brain, and 'Archer' by Move D is a favorite for reasons best left unexplained. All Source fans should pay attention to this one, by the way.
A good trick is to start with the second CD, turning the volume up.
VA - Heimelektro Ulm Populär Serie
Teil 1 Und 2 . 2000-2001
CD1 - CD2
Info here.
Populär Serie. Teil 1 Und 2
The Maenad and the Mix
The other day I came across a mix of PWOG (*) tracks in the Black Dog site, as the third part in a series where the Black Dog guys pay tribute to artists like Robert Hood and UR (so far). They mix the original stuff with some of their own re-edits, a treasure for the fans. Check the page out:
The Black Dog:
One Hour With The Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia
You know I'm a PWOG sicko. And I consider myself to be a fan of the Black Dog - not a collector per se, but 'Spanners' might be the 'IDM' album I've listened to the most (I still do, after all these years). As Robert Hood is also the Detroit guy I respect the most and UR are undoubtedly leaders in their field, seeing all these together there it felt like a serotonin-party. Then I came upon a post by Moggieboy (the Ripped In Glascow guy), where the 'Maenad' 12" was posted. It was too good to be just a coincidence, so here it is:
PWOG - Maenad 12" by Moggieboy
I'll borrow the eXquisite CORpsE 1994 Kupuri 12" later on.
P.S. Actually, he's posted a lot of PWOG stuff so go there and get them.
Reproduction
A 2CD combo of remixes by the mighty Playgroup aka Trevor Jackson for a multitude of artists plus a couple of his own tracks; including the DJ Kicks- exclusive cover of Depeche Mode track 'Behind The Wheel'. Out through Peacefrog - another right-on-the-spot compilation from this sheer quality label.
I remember he was compared to the DFA guys, as his selftitled LP and the 'Losing My Edge/ Beat Connection' 12" made an impact at about the same time. I've always considered this unfair; to my ears Jackson's aesthetics form a more concise proposition than DFA's (whom he also outranks production-wise). It works better for me that he's more focused on the hallucinogenic qualities of dancefloor music than in junk-punk aggressiveness; but that's a matter of taste, as always. Merging house, acid, disco, fat electro and heavy funk, putting the holy Bass over all - this is serious stuff for clubbers, don't get tricked by the hype following him at the time. The only producer/ remixer/ DJ to be compared with him has to be Ewan Pearson (for whom I keep another soft spot in my heart).
I believe Trevor Jackson influenced the evolution of today's music rather more than what he's credited for. Find out why here.
Playgroup - 2004 Reproduction. The Remixes
CD1 - CD2
Info here.
Totes Rennen
From Supposé, the same label that brought us this recording by Albert Hofmann, also comes the first Ester Brinkmann CD.
Similar only to other Brinkmann works of the era and to certain W.Voigt projects, it consists of groovy clicks and thumbs produced and looped by Brinkmann's decks while philosophers (and Blixa) hypnotically state rather serious sounding phrases - alas, unintelligible to us non-speakers of the german language. Still the concept is powerful and the music is minimal techno in the purest germanic sense - a very good Brinkmann record not to be missed by fans (it must be a bit rare).
I've also included a Scanner/Brinkmann collaboration in the .rar, I think I found it as a freebie in one of Scanner's sites.
Ester Brinkmann - 1998 Totes Rennen
Info here.
Cinemix
On the same ground with the previous post, this is a compilation of music from french movies of the '70s remixed by contemporary artists. Some info on the project can be found in the discogs info page.
I had no clue at who the composers were when I bought it (Morricone is one of them, actually) - and I haven't heard the original material. But I'd noticed remixes from many names I liked (Carl Craig and Swayzak on beat mode, Christian Morgenstern, Luke Vibert, etc) so I had to have it. Most remixers come from the freestyle scene, french or otherwise, so you get a lot of breaks, be it straight hip-hop, drum'n'bass or loungey funk. Special appearances by Berlin-based crazies Mocky and Kitty-Yo's Gonzales & Taylor Savvy must also be noted as the weirdest of the bunch - but we wouldn't expect less, right?
VA - 2003 Cinemix
Info here.
